Orphaned Like Riddle
by Entertainment
Summary: Dumbledore looked over at Harry and felt a shocking sense of deja vu he had, for a second, thought he was looking at none other than Tom Riddle. Disclaimer: I do not own HP.


Orphaned

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Dumbledore rushed towards the remains of the Potter's mansion. The houses on either side were in almost perfect condition with the inhabitants standing at the ruined fence of the Potter's. The pile of rubble that had recently resembled Harry's bedroom was beyond repair. _Oh no._ Reaching the fence, Dumbledore waved his wand and path was cleared for him. The people standing around started talking all at once, trying to describe what they had just witnessed. He ignored them all.

"Out of the way." Dumbledore commanded, waving his wand a second time, lifting the tiles that were once the roof over towards a darkened patch of grass that used to be the backyard. The sounds that usually filled the neighbour, the croak of frogs and the hoot of owls, were absent, leaving the area unnaturally quite even with the chattering of on-lookers.

Walking through the tattered door, Dumbledore levitated himself over and up the burnt stairs, not wishing to do himself an unnecessary injury. Having already seen the still bodies of James and Lilly Potter lying in the hallway, he made his way towards the bedroom of Harry Potter. There was nothing much left of the walls or roof, but floor was stable enough to walk on and stepping around the fallen and cracked wardrobe, he came to the cot of the little Potter. _How dark a night this is, what troubles may lay ahead, I wonder. _The blankets covering the shivering body were covered in dust and as Dumbledore's glittering eyes surveyed the boy a crack sounded and Professor McGonagall arrived on the path leading to the house. Dumbledore watched as she made her way hastily up the stairs and into the burnt and ruined bedroom.

"Minerva." Nodding in acknowledgement he looked back at Harry.

"Albus." Her eyes glittered in the moonlight as a tear rolled down her cheek, "Lily and James, Albus, they're both…" leaving the sentence unfinished she to gazed at the child.

"I know and what a sad thing it is."

A cloud passed over the moon and the darkness became more suffocating. It squeezed into their hearts and willed the hope away.

"We have to get him out, to a home where people will love him; he's going to need it."

"I know. I was thinking of Lily's sister, they may be muggles bu-"

"But?! They're the worst kind of muggles!" Professor McGonagall rudely interrupted, "They will certainly not love him or care for him! It would be like sending him to hell; they would treat him like dirt! I know Petunia and she hates, hates magic. Harry wouldn't stand a chance." she looked sadly at the young boy.

"I know; you're right." He said resignedly. Leaning down Dumbledore picked up the small boy and for the first time noticed the scar that was upon his head, "Look!"

Professor McGonagall looked over and gasped at the lightning shape inscribed in his pale skin. Pulling out her wand, she waved it and nothing happened.

"It will be cursed by the spell that Lord Voldemort used… most likely the Killing Curse."

McGonagall gasped a second time, "He will be a hero; everyone shall know his name and once the word gets out he won't have a moment alone."

"There is nothing we can do about it now, people must have already come up here and seen the sight; Harry: the boy-who-lived. They will not think for neither his safety nor well-being, but shout the word to all who will hear."

"But it is fantastic, a time for celebration; He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gone!" The Professor suddenly seemed to realise what had just happened and her face brightened, then remembering the fates of Lily and James Potter, drooped again, but no so much as before.

"I know but still…" _Harry will grow up with a large burden – to eventually destroy Voldemort._ Resting the unconscious boy gently in his arms, Dumbledore made his way downstairs and into the outside air, McGonagall right behind him.

The bystanders were still there, but let at the ushering of Professor McGonagall.

"Where can he go?" Dumbledore stared up at the moon, looking for inspiration.

"An orphanage is the only place he can go; those muggles are no good and no one else can take him in."

"Yes… a muggle orphanage." He looked back down at McGonagall.

"A muggle orphanage?!"

"Of course, he will be away from the wizarding world, out of the spotlight that will be placed most unforgivingly upon him."

"Hmm… if you believe it will be the right place for him, then so be it."

_Oh, but isn't this how Tom himself ended up? Are you going to repeat the same mistakes you made then, Albus? A child without love is dangerous. That was proved with Tom. Will Harry turn out the same way? But we have no choice – as long as I check up on him, he shall be alright; safe from the evils of the world, the evils that he is yet to be exposed to._

* * *

After trying six orphanages, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore made their way up the set of steps that led to the seventh orphanage. _I do hope this will be the last,_ Dumbledore thought as they reached the door and rang the bell. The sun could just be seen peeking over the horizon, the dawn of a new day.

A sleepy-eyed lady answered the door, "Good morning, don't s'pose you're a bit early huh?" she eyed them curiously. "Off to a dress-up party afterwards as well I s'pose? Well, come on in or would you like to conduct business outside?"

She opened the door wider and gestured inside. The paint on the walls and roof was cracking, the long, snaking lines spread out like spider webs. The mats on the floor were full of dust and were covered in multiple stains, each with their own five-minute-long story. Rooms branched off and a rickety stairwell that led upstairs to other, slightly decayed, rooms.

The two professors followed the lady to the end of the hall and entered an office filled with filing and coffee cups. The cushioned chair behind the desk was covered in other pieces of material, sewn on to stop the holes in the fabric from bursting out fluff. The lady sat down in it, the seat appeared to have moulded to her back-side's shape, and introduced herself.

"Well, my name is Mandy Greshare and I am the manager of this orphanage. I see that you do have a young child, he is at least one isn't he? We do not accept any younger."

"Oh of course, Harry here is seventeen months." McGonagall said kindly.

"Well we best get this paper work out of the way…"

The next hour consisted of sorting out the many papers to do with caring for Harry and finally the legalities were out of the way. Mandy led them upstairs and pointed out Harry's new room and they left him there; he was no longer unconscious and was peacefully sleeping.

Leaving the room and reaching the bottom of the stairs, she led McGonagall and Dumbledore to the back veranda where they sat and started to discuss what would be happening.

"Harry Potter is very special to us and either or both of us will be checking on him every now and then." Dumbledore stated.

"Yes, I can see that." The conversation continued for some time before a little girl of five came and asked Mandy for breakfast. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall saw it as time to go and bidding her farewell, they left.

Mandy was led to the kitchen by the little girl as she thought about her recent pick-up. _They certainly were a weird couple; dressing up like a witch and wizard and they did seem a bit old to be going to dress-up parties. The parents must have died recently and they must have been the only ones to look after the little boy, Hugo Potter or something… wait, no, it's _Harry_ Potter not _Hugo_ Potter. Oh and that scar on his face, what a poor boy, it must've hurt…_ Entering the kitchen she began preparing breakfast for the little girl and the rest of the house's inhabitants.

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A/N Ok well, how do you like it… I think I am getting better at writing… maybe one day I will be as good as other people who write on FanFiction because some of them are really good! Well anyway, constructive criticism is welcome and if you don't like the story say what you don't like don't just say "I don't like it, it sucks" because then I don't know how to fix it…

I know it isn't that long, but I didn't want to go into Harry's life just yet; that can be the next chapter.

Anyway, what I really want is some reviews… PLEASE REVIEW…


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